Make no mistake about it, Oak Lawn’s Bianca Fleitas loves hitting 3-point shots. After developing a solid midrange game in grade school, Fleitas decided to back up a little bit and let fly in high school for the Spartans. “I really wanted to shoot outside the area,” she said of setting up from beyond the arc. “I thought it would be cool to hit those 3-pointers.” Even though she makes a bunch of them now, she’s cool about it. There are no histrionics. “I get pretty happy,” she said, smiling. “But after I hit one, I stay calm and focus on the next play.” Fleitas maintained that focus Wednesday night, sinking three 3-pointers to finish with 17 points as host Oak Lawn eased to a 60-28 nonconference win over Bradley-Bourbonnais. Oak Lawn’s Bianca Fleitas (25) drives through the Bradley-Bourbonnais defense toward the basket during a nonconference game in Oak Lawn on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown) On top of that, Fleitas added four rebounds and four steals for Oak Lawn (19-11). Olivia Perry tallied 14 points and four steals, while Kenadie Haubenreiser had nine points and eight rebounds Interestingly, Sara Abdelrahman was held scoreless by Bradley (2-25) and took just two shots. Twenty-four hours earlier, she established a program record with 10 3-pointers while scoring 30 points for the Spartans in a 59-18 win over Eisenhower. Fleitas, however, rewrote the record book herself Jan. 29 with a 42-point performance in a 74-37 win over crosstown rival Richards. “Going into the game, I actually thought I wasn’t going to play one of my best games,” Fleitas said. “In school, things were frustrating, but when I played, I focused on basketball and something was just different that night. Oak Lawn’s Bianca Fleitas (25) pushes the ball up the court against Bradley-Bourbonnais during a nonconference game in Oak Lawn on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown) “I think I had five 3-pointers in the first quarter and then everything else was just twos around the rim. It was good.” Perry, who also made five 3-pointers that night, pointed out how much she enjoyed watching Fleitas’ dynamic performance. “It was super fun,” Perry said. “There was some great energy that day.” Even when Fleitas isn’t scoring 42 points in a game, she still plays a valuable role. Oak Lawn’s Bianca Fleitas (25) dribbles the ball up the court as Bradley-Bourbonnais’ Katie McBurnie (3) defends during a nonconference game in Oak Lawn on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown) “She brings a lot of strength to the team,” Perry said of Fleitas. “She brings a lot of motivation. I think that she’s a big backbone to our team. I like her facilitating on the court, for sure. “She’s always vocal and super loud. That’s definitely helpful on and off the court, during practice and in the locker room.” Oak Lawn coach Mark Sevedge has watched Fleitas emerge this season after she spent most of last winter on the shelf with an MCL injury. “She’s the engine that runs our team,” Sevedge said of Fleita. “She handles the ball for us 95% of the game. She can shoot the three for us and she finishes at the rim. “She has a high-energy motor and gets us in our offense. She runs the show for us on the floor.” Oak Lawn’s Bianca Fleitas (25) goes up for a layup against Bradley-Bourbonnais during a nonconference game in Oak Lawn on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown) And it’s not just Oak Lawn. Fleitas holds offers from Benedictine, Carthage, Illinois Wesleyan, Olivet Nazarene and St. Francis Joliet. “I think I’m just going to finish my high school season and make a decision right after that,” she said. “I want to focus on high school before I see which path I’m going to take.” The Spartans, who concluded their regular season Wednesday night, and drew the 12th seed in the Class 4A Mother McAuley Sectional. They will face fifth-seeded Lincoln-Way West (17-12) at 7:30 Monday at the Shepard Regional. Fleitas confirmed that she comes from a basketball family. Her sisters, Alexis Loza and Victoria Zepeda, played for Argo. Over the years, Fleitas loved the sport more and more. “Honestly, I love playing with a team and being on this team has been great,” she said. “I love being around a good culture and having fun.” Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. ...read more read less